Community› The Bump Month Clubs› April 2015 Moms
April 2015 Moms
New Discussion
Options

Road trip with baby!

smezgersmezger member
in April 2015 Moms
My LO will be 3 months old when we take our first road trip. It is about a 6 hour drive from Phoenix to San Diego. I was wondering if any moms out there have tips on how to prepare/endure the long car ride. Thanks!!!
Report Reply to Post

Re: Road trip with baby!

  • Options
    RSupryRSupry member
    edited June 2015
    We do a 12 hour drive twice a year with our oldest. He is only 18 months. This next one in August will be the first with the new baby. We find that making the drive at night is the best way to minimize fussiness.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    pistachio&blushpistachio&blush member
    We are also taking a road trip next Thursday for about an 8 hour drive to see family. I'm very nervous and looking for tips. I'm not sure what to pack and the best way to breastfeed. The hotel has a crib but we are bringing the pack and play just in case. I'm thinking about getting the adapter so I can pump in the car and bottle feed.
    Report Reply
  • Loading the player...
  • Options
    gmfandmmwgmfandmmw member
    We just got home today from a week in Outer Banks NC... That's about 13 hours from our home in Indiana!
    We definitely split the road trip into two manageable days but it was still a LOT of time in the car for LO (two months old today).
    I found it easiest to stay in the back with her to keep the paci and the funny faces available! We also invested in some car seat toys to keep her entertained while awake so I could rest my face. Our saving grace? The white noise that she naps and sleeps to was piped through the car speakers almost the entire trip... Yes, it got really old but it totally soothed her which kept everyone as happy as possible while crammed in a car together!

    I tried pumping to bottle feed on our way there which led to excess gas and a MAJOR meltdown in the hotel... So I breastfed the rest of the way, pumping when I needed to because sometimes she would sleep a little past her feeding time. We basically stopped for food/gas/potty breaks when she was hungry... So I packed snacks to keep the rest of us fed until she was ready to stop. I would breastfeed in the car at stops while the hubs ran in for food/potty break and he would burp and let her stretch/get some fresh air while I took a potty break.

    I also made up a makeshift changing station in the extra back seat before we left... Diapers, wipes, changing pad and an extra change of clothes. Made stops a little more efficient.

    The week was DEFINITELY more work than rest but it was well worth it!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    gmfandmmwgmfandmmw member
    Also kept the attire simple... Just a onesie and a blanket. Easier to remove a blanket than unnecessary clothing while you're driving!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    smezgersmezger member
    Wow thanks for the great advice!! I love the white noise idea!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    smilesallaroundsmilesallaround member
    I'm debating driving 4 hours, just the LO and me, to meet up with my in laws for a vacation. But I am so nervous! I can definitely use some of the tips you all have listed. But I am worried about what to do if he starts crying while I'm driving. I won't have anyone to try to soothe him. Any advice?
    Report Reply
  • Options
    LinnehLinneh member
    edited June 2015
    We just did our first road trip with our daughter that just turned two months and the family dog. It normally takes us 8 hours. On the way there we did it with an overnight stop half way, and on the way back we went straight across and it took us 10hours. We stopped every hour either for a feeding(breastfed), diaper change or stretch. We found keeping her needs satisfied, no matter how many stops, kept us sane! I planned to add 3 hours to the trip, ended up only being an extra 2. Most of our stops were just pulling down old logging roads for a few minutes then hopping back on the road.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    smezgersmezger member
    That's awesome! Thanks for sharing!
    Report Reply
  • Options
    astrat017astrat017 member
    Doing a three hour next weekend. Any recommendations to help the head from dropping forward?
    Report Reply
  • Options
    RSupryRSupry member
    @ astrat017 I put a towel under my car seat base so it leans a little further back. The indicator on the side says its still at a good angle and his head barely ever drops forward now.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    astrat017astrat017 member
    RSupry said:

    @ astrat017 I put a towel under my car seat base so it leans a little further back. The indicator on the side says its still at a good angle and his head barely ever drops forward now.

    That's a great suggestion thank you
    Report Reply
  • Options
    rhiannon.savagerhiannon.savage member
    We took our little one on vacation. It was a twelve hour drive. We found it best to always stop and take him out of car seat for feedings and go off LOs schedule. We took LO out of car seat at every stop to stretch and be held. He slept a majority of the trip since he was just four weeks old. Rest stops were great since they were much cleaner than gas stations and restaurants.
    Report Reply
  • Options
    candj07candj07 member
    We just came back from a 16 hour road trip. Ours was broken into two days. I used an adapter I got from Amazon for my electric pump or a Medela hand pump..I actually prefered the hand pump when traveling because I could also store it in the diaper bag if needed. At BRU I bought travel size dish soap and Medela pump towles to clean on the go. I kept my parts in a ziplock bag and bottle fed. I also bought a stroller fan at BRU because we went to Florida. Every few hours we would pull over and let her lay out on a car seat to stretch. She was a champ and did so well.
    [url=http://www.thebump.com/?utm_source=ticker&utm_medium=UBB&utm_campaign=tickers][img]http://global.thebump.com/tickers/tt1b06bd.aspx[/img][/url]
    Report Reply
Sign In or Register to comment.
Choose Another Board
Search Boards
"
"